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Instead, I focus my attention on the insolent young woman sitting next to me.
Her eyes are bright green, an emerald color that almost glows. She wears a short black skirt, no nylons, just smooth, creamy skin that goes on for miles, trailing down to sexy strappy black heels that wrap around her delicate ankles and show off her polished red toes. My eyes travel back up, taking in her tight waist and the white button-down shirt against the larger-than-average-sized breasts beneath it.
Her heart-shaped lips are pursed when I reach her face. "Are you quite done, or should I stand up, turn around, and bend over so you can examine my ass too?"
My eyebrows raise at her forwardness. I don't recall seeing her at Embry’s recent transition ceremony, but yet there’s something about her that seems so familiar. I wouldn't have forgotten her, not with those large wide emerald eyes, set so far apart and framed with dark lashes. The ones that appear not to miss a thing, and all of that gorgeous red curly hair falling seductively around her shoulders and trailing down to her breasts.
I ignore her question, as my cock presses against the seam of my pants because I’m hardly done at all. I wonder what kind of reaction I would get if I told her, yes.
Her finger gently circles the rim of her wine glass, doing little to help my situation. “You owe me an apology. I'm not a piece of meat. Embry’s told me about this place. There’s an entire playroom downstairs where a variety of girls are at your beck and call. I'm not one of them. You should remember that if we’re going to work together."
She stands and walks away, heading toward the restroom. I find myself alone at the table, annoyed and admittedly intrigued by her blatant disregard for my position, watching her hair flounce and her ass sway as she makes her way across the room atop those strappy high heels that I envision wrapped around my neck.
Oh, sweetheart, if you're half as wild in bed...
Descallia and Lucianna return moments later, dragging my thoughts from the proverbial gutter. He pulls out the chair for Lucianna. Our overmaster is a changed man since his mate has returned. She and the vampire community are his entire world and anyone who hurts her, including her sister, will see the wrath the likes of which they will never survive, regardless of whether he wants her returned to him alive or not.
Overmaster Descallia clears his throat. “While we’re alone, Calabrea. The rest of the special ops team is on their way. What I neglected to mention yesterday is that Embry was made part of that group not long ago. She has exceptional skills in combat. She’ll be working with our team in that capacity. I didn’t include her when we met with Lucianna here yesterday because Lucianna had not yet had a chance to speak with her about it.”
My eyes narrow, watching the little wisp of a woman with purple hair laughing up at Lucas on the dance floor, shaking her ass and acting a fool. I scowl… It wasn’t enough to meet with him last night and get told that others would be joining the assignment in my region, but now he loads me with both Embry and Tansia? “No disrespect, but I didn’t think babysitting was part of the job.”
His keen dark eyes don’t waver. “She’s earned her place on the team, Calabrea. Her skills are exceptional. Having the special ops team will allow you to focus on leading the group and finding Isala. And, to clear the air about last night. I’ve shared my plan to have Isala taken alive with Lucianna. She knew wewere conspiring the minute she walked in the door,” he says, half smiling at his mate whose eyes begin to glow.
“I thought we were strategizing," I say, swirling the rest of the Descallia Red in the bottom of my wine glass. Giving her a smile, having not quite figured out how I feel about the special powers of sight she has, allowing her into not only the minds of those she cares about but far into the future. “Speaking of strategizing.” I gesture to Roman, the new syndicate don who’s just walked in the door with Master Trentino and Angel. “We’re still planning to let Roman join us in the hunt for Isala? You know he’s going to want to focus on the men at the top of the syndicate pulling the strings, because those are the same men who can remove him from his role if he doesn’t toe the line.”
"To be certain," Master Descallia says, swirling his red. "You know what they say—keep your enemies close, right?"
I grin and nod, thankful that Descallia hasn't succumbed to the whole syndicate playing nice with us bunch of crap that I thought Roman had pulled over on our leader.
The three of them arrive at our table, and Trentino holds a seat for his mate, Angel. Roman grabs an extra chair from another table and sits next Angel, giving his sister a sitting hug.
Far too much playing nice if you ask me. “A Descallia Red for everyone. Oh, perhaps a regular wine or even a beer for Roman?" I tell the waitress, not caring two fucks that it earns me a raised eyebrow from the syndicate don.
The waitress leaves the table to fill our order just as Embry and Lucas return, and everyone is introduced to our newcomer. I turn back to find Roman watching the myriad of expressions play over Tansia’s features as she talks quietly with the ladies who are asking her questions about her recent travels.
His eyes roam Tansia’s body from head to toe. My chest pumps blood at an unsettling pace, watching Roman who’s onlyrecently taken over the reins of the syndicate, while he feasts on Embry’s cousin with greedy eyes.
Roman must feel the heat of my gaze.
He pulls his eyes away from Tansia and looks to Descallia and then me. "Perhaps we should get down to business. I spoke with my men out in the field just before coming here tonight. They tell me they've followed the rogue shifters back to a mansion near the coast." He looks at me pointedly before continuing. “Apparently it’s not far from your estate.”
I nod. "That should make it easy. We'll plan to use my estate as headquarters then, unless there's any objection.”
Descallia shakes his head. “You've got the perfect view, with the ability to see the fuckers coming a mile away from the top of that hill, plenty of lords and vampires on patrol, as well as townspeople who respect you and who could be called on within a moment's notice. It’s a good plan.”
He looks at Roman. "Where are the syndicate elders in this? Some of them, too, have estates and headquarters in the most southern parts of Italy? Have you had a chance to speak with them, get a feel for their positions? They’re not going to be able to remain neutral in this for long. A war between the factions is coming. Unless we can stop the rogues, the syndicate elders are going to need to take a side.”
Roman glances around the club and lowers his head. "A meeting has been called of the elders. There holding it back in Chicago, along with a few other families. I’ll know if I’m still don after this plays out. They believe my sister’s situation and her relationship with Master Trentino bias my ability to govern the family.”
“They have no idea how hard you work to keep the two separate, Roman,” Angel says.
Master Trentino nods. “I have to say, I wasn’t sure how you would do it either, but you’ve only aligned with us fully whenit was in the best interest of both groups to do so. I’ve been impressed with your ability to keep things separate, while not taking your eye from your job.”
Roman takes a drink of his wine. “I appreciate the vote of confidence”—he looks at Overmaster Descallia—“and the support, but we both know, if they make that decision, they’ll have taken those things into consideration.”
Overmaster Descallia growls. “If a war is what the syndicate wants, then it is what they shall have.”
Lucianna’s hand snakes down Overmaster Descallia’s arm and entwines with his. “Hopefully it won’t come to that,” she says gently.
